[Vision2020] Memorial would impeach federal judges

[Tom Hansen]

Crank it up for . . .

"Just Two Men Who Do Si Do"
http://www.TomandRodna.com/Songs/Do_Si_Do.mp3

Sing along . . .
 
"Life’s just like a rodeo
We aint putting on a show
Nothing to make you squawk or crow
Just two men who do si do
Dirty looks for holding hands
Spying matching bright gold bands
When you gonna understand
That this guy here is my man
He’s my beau, what’s more to know
Its two men, get with it, hello
We’re committed to love and grow
Names on the mailbox in a row
Life’s just like a rodeo
We aint putting on a show
Nothing to make you squawk or crow
Just two men who do si do
Making a home for our pet
Eating dinner off chinette
Sharing air miles for the jet,
Even merged our god damn debt
Ceremony we underwent
Nice small family friends event
Legal with a document / from the government
Even got my mama’s consent
Life’s just like a rodeo
We aint putting on a show
Nothing to make you squawk or crow
Just two men who do si do
Now Listen Up
Our Great Gran Daddies came to this frontier
Settled the land and made it clear
All men are created equal here
They never said unless your queer
Next year maybe buy that farm
Walkin around arm in arm
Be good neighbors do no harm
Givin’ our town some new charm
Times are changing left and right
Holding my man close and tight
Still makes folks wanna fight
But more and more are quite polite
Life’s just like a rodeo
We aint putting on a show
Nothing to make you squawk or crow
Just two men who do si do
Life’s just like a rodeo
We aint putting on a show
Nothing to make you squawk or crow
Just two men who do si do
Just two men who do si do
Just two men who do si do
Just two men who do si do"

--------------------------------------

Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .

"Moscow Cares" (the most fun you can have with your pants on)
http://www.MoscowCares.com
  
Tom Hansen
Moscow, Idaho


> On Mar 21, 2015, at 6:27 AM, Tom Hansen <thansen at moscow.com> wrote:
> 
> Is this what we have been reduced to?
> 
> Courtesy of today's (March 21, 2015) Lewiston Tribune.
> 
> ---------------------------------------
> 
> Memorial would impeach federal judges
> Sponsor Rep. Paul Shepherd, R-Riggins, says judges who are making law, not upholding it, should be outed
> BOISE - A joint memorial calling for federal judges to be impeached if their rulings go beyond the "original intent" of the Constitution passed the Idaho House Friday on a 44-25 vote.
> The measure, sponsored by Rep. Paul Shepherd, R-Riggins, was prompted in part by last year's appellate court decision that overturned Idaho's ban on same-sex marriage.
> "I bring this joint memorial because so many issues have come up across the country and with my constituents, that whatever comes down from the court - even if it's unconstitutional when applied to the commonly understood, original intent - it just goes on anyway and we have to live under it, even if it's not constitutional," Shepherd said. "So somehow, someday, we have to take a stand. I think that's in compliance with our oath of office."
> The memorial urges Congress to support the principle that judges should "uphold the law and not make or change the law," and calls for judges to be impeached if they stray from original intent.
> Original intent doesn't mean the Constitution can never change, Shepherd said, "but change can only happen through an amendment, not through a judge ... I think it's important we send that message - and I think it's important we are one nation under God and that we uphold Christian morals. As an example, how about fornication and adultery?"
> Rep. John McCrostie of Boise, who is gay, said he found this legislation personally hurtful.
> "Is my marriage so despicable that a federal judge should be impeached?" he asked. "All this bill really does is this: If you vote for it, you get to go home and tell your constituents you voted against gay marriage. If you vote against it, you get to say you supported marriage equality. In the end, all we've done is campaign on company time; we failed to use our time here to improve education, create livable wage jobs or fix a broken transportation system ... You need to vote your heart, but I ask with as much graciousness as I can muster, please don't bring any more discriminatory legislation like this."
> Rep. Mark Nye, D-Pocatello, wondered which judges Shepherd wanted to impeach.
> "Does that include (former Supreme Court Chief Justice) Earl Warren?" he asked.
> Shepherd said it did, given that the Warren court stopped school prayers. He said prayers should be allowed, as long as they're nondenominational.
> "Our freedom of religion thing was to deal with denominations of religion, not whether we're Christian or not," Shepherd said. "So if this (impeaching judges) had started with him, we wouldn't have judges out of control today. I wish it had started with him."
> Nye, an attorney and past president of the Idaho State Bar Association, noted the Warren court decided "Brown v. Board of Education," which led to school desegregation.
> "I'm sure no one today thinks he should be impeached," he said. "I applaud (Shepherd's) frustration and his disdain for specific rulings ... but to attack our institutions doesn't advance the necessary respect that binds us all together."
> Rep. Linden Bateman, R-Idaho Falls, spoke in support of the bill, saying it expresses the feelings of many Idahoans about judges who override state prerogatives and shift power to the federal government.
> "Essentially this memorial is sending a message, and that message needs to be heard," he said. "Even a casual reading of the Constitution tells us the authors of that venerable document were fearful of the centralization of power."
> Rep. Ilana Rubel, D-Boise, said the Constitution is amazing not merely because it promotes democracy, but because it provides protections for minority views.
> "That's where the judiciary comes in," she said. "They're the guardians against the tyranny of the majority ... That's why the Constitution provides for lifetime appointments - so they don't have to be beholden to the majority, so they can stand for the 2 percent and not be run over in the next election. This (memorial) is tearing at the very fabric that makes the country work."
> House Minority Leader John Rusche, D-Lewiston, said the 1803 decision in "Marbury v. Madison" made it clear that the judiciary is responsible for interpreting the Constitution.
> "So I would submit that 'original intent' was to let the courts interpret what the Constitution permits," he said. "All this memorial says is that we're so against gay marriage, not only will we refuse to recognize the rights of those individuals, we'll try to impeach any judge who doesn't see things our way. That is distinctly different from any legal understanding of the role of the courts in America. I think this makes us headed for the evening news once again."
> In north central Idaho, Shepherd and Rep. Shannon McMillan, R-Silverton, voted in favor of the legislation. Rusche and Reps. Dan Rudolph, D-Lewiston; Caroline Troy, R-Genesee; and Paulette Jordan, D-Plummer, all voted in opposition.
> The memorial now goes to the Senate for further action.
> 
> ---------------------------------------
> 
> Seeya 'round town, Moscow, because . . .
> 
> "Moscow Cares" 
> http://www.MoscowCares.com
>   
> Tom Hansen
> Moscow, Idaho
>  
> =======================================================
> List services made available by First Step Internet,
> serving the communities of the Palouse since 1994.
>               http://www.fsr.net
>          mailto:Vision2020 at moscow.com
> =======================================================
-------------- next part --------------
An HTML attachment was scrubbed...
URL: <http://mailman.fsr.com/pipermail/vision2020/attachments/20150321/4e496cc5/attachment-0001.html>